RAYS WAGTAIL, 419 
making its appearance about the end of March, or the be- 
ginning of April, and leaves our southern shores in Sep- 
tember. Like most of our summer visitors, this species 
comes to us from the south, and in its habits is very like the 
other Wagtails, except that it does not appear to be, like 
them, so decidedly partial to water. It frequents arable 
land, and inhabits fields of peas and tares, in both of 
which I have found its nest ; it.also frequents open downs 
and sheep pastures, fields of young green corn, and not 
unusually dry fallows, where, perched on a clod of earth, 
or upon a stone, this bird may be seen fanning his tail, 
and exhibiting his rich yellow breast to the greatest ad- 
vantage. The nest is placed on the ground, and is ge- 
nerally formed of dried bents and fibrous roots, lined with 
hair; the eggs are from four to six in number, not unlike 
those of the Sedge Warbler, but rather larger; whitish in 
colour, mottled nearly all over with yellow brown and ash 
brown; the length eight lines and a half, the breadth six 
lines and a half. 
The young birds are able to fly about the end of May ; 
and may be seen from that time to the period of their au- 
tumnal departure following the parent birds in search of 
food. Like others of the genus, they are frequently to be 
seen attending cattle and sheep while grazing, running 
about so close to their feet as to appear in danger of being 
trodden upon. A writer observes, ‘‘I have seen as many 
as seven, which I concluded were the parents and their 
offspring, running and dodging just before the cow’s head, 
apparently catching small insects. I suppose that the 
cattle disturbed small flies, which are the favourite food of 
this bird, lodged in the grass, and which as soon as they 
arose were caught by the watchful Wagtail before they 
could secure their retreat into the grass. We thus see 
EE 2 
